Motor-controlling apparatus.



M. G. RBGAN.

MOTOR GONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FBB.4,19OB.

Patented oct-.13,1908.

106 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M. c. REGAN.V MOTOR CONTBOLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED PBB.4,1908.

Patnted Oct. 13, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M.4 C. REGAN. MOTOR GONTROLLING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED FEBA, 1908.

901,189. fPatented oct.13,19os.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

.9 I In F3 "i JUII MICHAEL CHARLES REGAN, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY,

HOTOR-CONTOLLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1908.

Application flied February 4, 190B. Serial No. 414,278.

T o all whom 'it 'may concern:

Be it known that l, MICHAEL Cuantas RE- (iAN, United States Army, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Totten, in the county of Queens and State of-New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motol(lont|ollii1g Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such 4as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a motor controllin apparatus, especially' applicable to contro ling motors from a distance and to search light control, and the object of my invention is to produce such a device which shall be sim le in action, cheap to manufacture, not lia )leto get out of order, and which shall be capable of being operated from any desired distance.

To these ends my invention consists in the novel combinations of parts, and details of construction more fully hereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed out, in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which like numerals refer to ike parts in all the views :-Figure 1, is a plan view of my ref sistance changing device, or rheostat. Fig. 2, a side elevation of the magnet controlled portions of my rhcostat. Fig. 3, a diagranr matic view of .my entire motor controller showing the circuits. Fig. 4, a` plan View of my circuit closer, or contact maker. Fig. 5, a side elevation of the same partly in section showin m f retardin Y means and Fi r. 6. a

detail of the rctarding means.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 3, 1, represents the motor or other device through which the current is to be increased, diminished or reversed at will; 2, the ositive und 3, the ne ative supply main. he positive main lea( s to binding post 4, connected by wire 6, to contact 5, from which leads wire 7, to Contact 8. In like manner contacts 9 yand l0, are connected by wire 11, contacts 12 and 13 b ,wire 14, contacts 15 and 16 by wire 17, am contacts 18 and 19, by wire 20. The wires 7, 11, 14, 17 and 20, are connected in multiple to the resistance coil 26, by the wires 2l, 22, 23, 24, and 25, respectively, as shown, 27, 28, 29,`30, 31 and 32, are elongated contacts adapted to be brought into various circuits and to be connected with the Contacts first mentioned, as will appear more fully below. 33, representsl a pivoted contact making disk carrying the contact making fingers 34 and 35, on the insulating supports 36 and 37. The finger 34, is adapted y to make circuit with each of the contacts 5,

fl, 12, 15, 18, 19 etc., and to join'the same with one or the other of contacts 2T and 28. When it is making circuit with contact lt), shown, it closes the circuit between'said contact and the elongated contact 28, While at the same time finger 35, closes the circuit between the elongated contacts 29 and 30. lVhcn these fingers are in the positions just described, the current will flow from the positive main 2, through binding post l4, wire 6, contact 5, wires 7 and 2l, coil 26, wires 25 and 20, contact 19, finger 34, contact 28, wire 2lb', post 48, wire `47', to and through motor 1, by wire 3l) to wire 40, elongated contact 30, linger 35, contact 29, wire 4l, to negative main binding post 42.

In the position of finger 34, shown, all the resistance of coil 26, is in circuit, and therefore the motor w`ill get less current, than when the finger is moved to contact 16,

or to contact 13.` In othei words,`as thefinger is moved to the left, as shown in Fig.

3, the resistance 26, is continually cut out and the motor speeds up until the finger reaches contact 8, when all the resistance 26, is cut out.

WVhcn the finger is moved to the right, so as to make circuit with contact `1b, the current passes as before from the positive binding post 4, to the said contact IH, through the fin ver 34, to the elongated contact 27, througi the wire 43,' to binding post 44,

throughwire 39, to andthrough the moto!" l, by way of wire 47, to wirc45, contact 32, finger 35, contact 3l, wire 46, contact 29, and

wire 41, to negative post 42. The cnrrent'in"` this instance traverses the motor in a direction opposite to that'first described and the motor will yaccordingly be reversed. In the same way, a further movement of the finger 84, tothe ri 'ht will continually'cut out .resistance, am speed up the motor, as is apparent from the connections shown in Fig. 3. `.V hen the fingers 34 and 35, are mid way between the contacts 27 and 28, and the contacts 30 and 32 resectively, then the circuit is broken and t e motor cut out. The

manner, but I prefer a magneto mechanism for accomplishing this rotation from a distance. This mechanism consists of the electro magnets 50, 51, 52 and 53, provided with the armature lever 54, carrying at one end the pawls 55 and 56, and at the other end the pawls 57 and 58, as shown. Double springs 59 and 60, are provided for these pawls, and returning springs .G1 and 02, are provided at the ends of the armature lever 54. Momentum, or overthrow pivoted stops 03 and 64, are provided on the frame to lock the pewls in the ratchet teeth, G5, with which the disk 33, is provided, and to thereby prevent the said disk from turning too far under the influence of its momentum when the pawls are given a violent and sud# den forward impulse.v

Returning again to Fig. 3, it will be observed that the current' may flow through the wire 70, from the positive binding post to the wire 71, thence through the coils of' magnet 50, to the wire 72, thence through the coils of magnet 53, to the wire 73, binding post 74, wire 75, to the controller 76, to be presently described, one of the contacts 78 and wire 79, of said controller, to wire 79, and back to the negative main 3.

In traversing the coils of magnets 50 and 53, the current causes the ,armature lever to be thrown sharply to the right, and the pawls 55 and 58, to turn the disk 33, and the tin ers 34 and 35, also to the right. 'hen Iiowever, a different kind of contact is made at the controller 76, the current will reach the wire 71, as before, pass through the coils ofmagnets 52 and 51, by way of' the wire 80, 0st 81, wire 82', a contact 78,

1 on the controler and wires 7 7 and 79, back to the negative main, thereby causin the armature to be turned in an opposite irection, and the disk 33 and fingers 31 and 35, to also be lturned in a direction opposite from that just described. In other words,

the motorie by this magnetic means started,

Stopped or reversed from a. distance through precisely the same circuits as those described above. ,t

In order to make clear the full operation. I will now describe the construction of my controller 76. This .controller consists ofn base 88, through which asses the spindle 84, carrying the arm 85, aving in its outer end the pin 86. This pin is provided at one end with the r 87, on each side of which are the leaf springs 88 and 89, secured to the extreme end 90, of the arm 85, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The other end of the pin S6, is provided with a finger composed of two conducting strips 92 and 93, separated by the insulation 94, as shown. The wire 75, is connected to the strip 92, and the wire 82, to the stri 93, as best shown in Fig. 3.

bove t e arm 85, is the diskof the conf tI'Oller 76, and surrounding the same are the arm 35, is no longer moved.

individual contacts 78,*a1l joined in multiple with the wire 77. Between each pair of these contacts 78, is a. notch 140 in the periphery of the disk, into which the end of' the two insulated strips enters, and against the sides ofwhich one or the other of said strips strikes when the arm 85, is turned. That is to say, if the arm S5, as seen in Fig. 3, is turned to the ri ht theI strip 92, will continually malte and reak circuit with ythe contacts 73, and if it is turned to the left, the strip 93, will likewise continually make and break circuit with said contacts. When the arm 35, is turned, therefore, in one direction,\the magnets 50 and 53, will be energized, t'he disk 33, forced to turn under the impelling i'orce of' the pawls carried by the armature lever 5l, and the contact fingers 34 and 35, will-close the. circuit through the motor 1,4 andv gradually speed it up, all as above set forth. And when the arm S5, is turned in the other direction, the disk 33, will be turned in a reverse direction and the fingers 34 und 35, will so change the circuits as to reverse the motor, in the manner already described. When the arm 85, is turned in either direction, it causes the strip 92 or 93, to strike against the wall of one of the notches 140 or'15() in the periphery of the disk, or against one of4 the cont-acts 78, as above stated, and this causes the pin 80, to turn on its axis, and thereby throws the finger 87, against one or the other of the leaf springs 8S or S9, thus putting the same under tension. The effect of this is to restore said finger and consequently the strips 92 and 93, to their normal position out of circuit with the contacts 7S, as soon as the I preferably provide a finger piece 100, of suitable material, f'or moving the arm 85.

In order to prevent the arm 85, from being moved too rapidly and thereby injuring the motor, I provide a chamber in the base 83, adapted to contain a suitable finiti, and having a perforated diaphragm 101. Suitably attached to the spindle 84, and to said arm, is the revolving wing 102, adapted to force said fluid through the perforations of said diaphragm, as the arm is turned, and to thereby retard the. motion of said arm.

In the finished machine, I provide the post 103, for the wire 79, the post 10i, for the wire 75, and the post 105, for the wire 252, and any suitable connections are made from these osts to theirI corres'ondin(y P* parts. The post 105, is also for the wire 79.

Insulating pieces 106, are provided for the lingers 34 and 35, when in their mid position.

The operation will be clear from `the foregoing, but may be briefly summarized as follows :-As thea-rm 85. is turned in one direction. it causes the nmgnets 50 and 53, to be energized, and the fingers 34 and 35, to close circuit through the motor, and when i These stops serve -to wedge the paw descrlbed, for it 1s evident y varied without departing soluce the said arm is turned in an opposite direction it causes the magnets 51 and 52, to be energized, and the current to be reversed through the motor. The dash pot device 101,102, prevents the arm from being operated too suddenl 110,112, preventt e pawls from throwing the disk 33, too far, when violently o rate s in between the ratchet teeth and thereby to suddenly check the forward motion, while they donot prevent the pawls from being withdrawn. The s rings 61, 62, serve to keep the armature ever 54, always in its mid position. v y

The notchesv114, and 116, in the disk of the controller 76, are preferably made deeper than the others, 4, and the strips 92 and 93, are made of such a length thatwhen they occupy said notches the arm 85, may be turned in either direction, but when they occupy any other notches the bar can only continue to turn in that. direction in which it started. To in-` sure this result the smaller notches 15G-are provided. These notches are locatedv immeiately on each side of the strips 78, and serve to prevent the strips 92 and 93 from being returned to a notch `140, after contact has once been made between one of said strips 92 or 93, and one of said strips 78. The elfect of this construction is to enable the operator to .start the motor in either direction from the notch 114, but when once started, the contact fingers 34 and 35, must continue on in the same direction, until all the resistance is ycut out, and must then come back over the same course when they occupy their mid ition. The operator at the switch contr ler is thus compelled to make a complete stroke, and since the retarding means coupled with the above complete stroke devices, keeps the distant resistance controlling devices in step, as `well as prevents the motor from beieng started too suddenly, mistakes are avoid l The push button 120, controlled by the spring 121, serves to break the circuit whenever it is desired to move the arm 85, without operating the motor, or whenever, for any other purpose, it is desired to cut oif the current from the controller.

Of course I do not wish `to be understood as limiting my invention to the exact details of construction and o eration of arts above that t ey may be from the spirit of invention.'

hat I claim .iszj 1. In a motor controlling apparatus, the combination of a series of contacts; a resistancetjoined in multiple therewith;` an elongated contact; a finger adapted to close circuit between said latter contact and each of saidA first mentioned contacts; a second and and the stops 63, 64,-

\ in each series; an elongated contact `for each as best shown in` Fig.

:tact in each series;

larmature for a third elon ated contact; a second linger adapted to close circuit between said latter pair of contacts; a disk supporting said fingers;,a pawl to actuate said disk; a magnet to actuate said pawl; a momentum stop for said pawl; aswitch controller located at a distant point, and connections whereby the, same is adapted to energize said magnet and 4 to thereupon cause said fingers to close a circuit through said motor, substantially as described. I v p. 2. In a motor controlling apparatus, the combination of two series of contacts; a rcsistance joined ink multiple with each contact series; a finger adapted to close circuit between each contact and its corresponding elon ated contact; two pairs of other clon-v ate contacts, one for each series; a second nger adapted to close circutbetween thc elongated contacts in each pair; insulating supports for each of said fin ers; and map;-` netic means whereby said ngers may be made to traverse their respective contacts from a distant point, substantially asy d escribed. y

3. In a motor controlling apparatus, the combination of two series of contacts; a resistance joined in multiplewith each conan elongated contact for each series; a finger adapted to close circuit between each contact and its corresponding elotrgated contact; two pairs of other elonga contacts, one for each series; a. sec-` ond finger adapted to close circuit between 100 the elongated contacts in each pair; insulating supports for each of said fingers; and Y magnetic means consisting of magnets, an the same, pawls, a. ratchet, s switchv controller located at a distant int and suitable connections wherebygsai fin-v gers may be made to traverse their respective contacts, substantially as described. 4. In a motor controlling apparatus, the combination of two series of contacts; a re` sistance ,joined in multiple with each contact in each series;.nn elongated contact for each series; a fingeradapted to close circuit between each' contact and its corresponding elongated contact; two pairs of other elonrated contacts, one for each series; a second hnger adaptedl to close circuit'betweenthe contacts in each air; nsulatin for each of said rs; a, set 0 and said magnets, substantially as describedt 5. In a motor controlling apparatus, tlow combination of two series of contacts; a l'cv sistance joined in multiplel with each contact in each series; an elongated contact for anarmature for the same', pawls 120 each series; a finger adapted to close circuit between each contact and its corresponding elon ted contact; two pairs of 'other elontencontacts, one for each series; a second nger adapted to close circuit between the elongated contacts in each air; insulating supports for each of said gers; two sets of magnets; a common armature lever for both sets; pawls carried by said lever; a ratchet carrying said supports and operated bv said pawls; momentum stops for said `pawls and ratchet; a controller provided with an arm 85; contact strips 92' and 93, carried by said arm; contacts 78, with which said strips are adapted to engage one at a time; and suitable connections between said magnets and said controller, whereby said arm 85, may be operated at will, substan tially as described.

6. In a motor controlling apparatus, the combination of, two series of contacts; a resistance joined in multiple with eachcontact in each series; an elongated contact for each series; a finger adapted to close circuit between each contact and its corresponding elon ated contact; two pairs of other elonte contacts, one for each series; a second nger adapted to close circuit between the elongated contacts'in each air; insulating supports for each of wsaid gers; two sets of magnets; a common armature lever for both sets; pawls carried by said lever; a

Latchet carrying'said supports and operated y said pawls; momentum stops for said pawls and ratchet; a` controller provided with an arm 85; contact strips 92 and 93, carried by,l said arm; shallow and dees notches on said controller in which sai strips operate andwhich com l the same to make a complete stroke be ore reversing;

contacts on each side of said shallow notches with which said strips en age one at a, time; and suitable connections etween said magnets land said strips whereby the operation of said arm 85, may be controlled at will, substantially as described.

v7. In a motor controlling apparatus, the combination of suitable magnetic means for controlling the direction and quantity of current, with. a controller located at a distant point foroontrolling said means and comprising a dash pot, an operating arm, a-

finger 87, carriedA by said arm, springs Ycontro ling said finger, contact strips insulated from each other also carried b said arm, a

deep notches disk provided with shallow an into which said strips enter, contacts on each y provided with shallow and deep` able connections between said controller and said magnetic means, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I aix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL CHARLES REGAN.

Witnesses:

WM. BORCHDUFF,

GEO. A. INcnsoLL. 

